Big Day Re-match coming up in March!

[Connie Sandlin]

Audubon Dallas has challenged Fort Worth Audubon Society to a Big Day re-match. Last year, birders for both teams had the chance to bird in their whole counties (not just CBC count circles) in a friendly competition.

The FWAS board of directors is meeting tonight and is supposed to select which Saturday in March that they think they'll be up to the challenge.

Keep watching this forum, the home page, and the field trips page for the actual date. Hopefully, I'll be able to post by the next day or two.

Connie

[Connie Sandlin]

The next Audubon Dallas vs. Fort Worth Audubon Dallas Big Day challenge will be on March 16-17th.

Start rounding up partners to bird with between Friday, March 16th at 3 p.m. to to Saturday, March 17th at 3 p.m. We will have a countdown dinner on Saturday at 6 p.m. at a location to be determined.

The rules will be basically the same as last year. The main limitations are that the teams have to stay strictly within their county boundaries (Tarrant and Dallas County). The winning team will be the one that can accumulate the most species in the 24 hour period.

This was a LOT of fun last year. Come join in the fun.

More details to follow. Let the trash talk commence!

[One Strange Bird]

Let the trash talk commence!
I'll bet that neither team can find me! HA! :p

[Connie Sandlin]

If you plan to participate in the Big Day Challenge this year, please e-mail me at conniesandlin(at)hotmail.com as soon as possible.

This past week, Sheryl Barker, Jean Miller, and I explored a new location called the Dimension Tract in Carrollton. Neat place! It's just on the other (south) side of Belt Line Road from McInnish Park/Elm Fork Preserve. Old growth trees right on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and younger trees gnawed by beavers. Another birder had posted a message on Texbirds about seeing a Barn Owl at 3 o'clock in the afternoon earlier in the week.

Unfortunately, we didn't see the owl, but we did find lots of interesting sparrows, including: Field, Fox, Harris, White-throated, Song, Dark-eyed Juncos, and more, in addition to 2 female Northern Harriers squabbling with each other. My best birds of the day were a Hermit Thrush and Hooded Mergansers in flight. We also saw a possum up in a tree over the path to the canoe/kayak put-in point and raccoon footprints in the mud.

So, get out there throughout Dallas County and see what you can find so we can try to assemble the bigger species list and trounce Fort Worth Audubon in the Big Day Challenge Re-match!

[T. David Griffith]

Connie,

I was wondering if there was going to be another Challenge and was looking at the Dallas Audubon web site when I saw that the link to the Bird Talk Forums was back on the header bar.

I will send you a separate e-mail to see if you want to do the Spring Creek Park again.

David Griffith